POLITICS: Liberal women seen as weak on terrorism issues, study finds

Presidential contender Hillary Clinton and other female Democratic candidates could have a hard time convincing voters they’re tough enough to fight terrorism, according to findings from three researchers, including a UC Riverside political science professor.

The researchers, whose study was published recently in a political research journal, conclude that voters view Democratic women candidates more negatively when it comes to terrorism and protecting the nation.

“Terrorism casts its shadow over individuals and communities, shaping politics and voter decision-making. When the threat of a violent attack by terrorists looms large, gender stereotypes lead to increased public support for male candidates,” the researchers said in their study.

UCR professor of political science Jennifer Merolla and professors Mirya Holman of Tulane University in New Orleans and Elizabeth Zechmeister of Vanderbilt University in Nashville discussed their research in a London School of Economics blog.

“The evidence suggests that, when terrorism is salient in the news, Democratic female candidates, compared with their male counterparts, may have lower success in primaries and general elections. This is particularly important to the degree that more women are likely to run under the Democratic ticket than the Republican ticket.”

In a phone interview, Merolla said the findings didn’t surprise her. Past research shows that women are perceived as weaker on leadership, she said.

National security has been a hot topic in this year’s presidential race with the rise of the Islamic State and the Dec. 2 San Bernardino terror attack that left 14 dead and 22 wounded.

In addition, Republicans have hammered Clinton, who served as secretary of state under President Barack Obama, over her handling of the 2012 attack of a diplomatic compound in Benghazi, Libya that killed the U.S. ambassador and three other Americans.

A recent poll suggests that the GOP has an edge when it comes to national security. Fifty-two percent of those surveyed in a Gallup poll released in September said Republicans did a better job of protecting the country from terrorism and international threats.

For “Terrorist Threat, Male Stereotypes, and Candidate Evaluations,” which was published in “Political Research Quarterly,” the researchers asked 1,074 people to read either an article about a terrorist threat in a state or one with more positive news about a state.

Afterward, subjects were given one of four election scenarios – a male Republican running against a male Democrat; a male Democrat taking on a female Republican; a female Democrat versus a male Republican or a female Democrat running against a female Republican – and asked to make judgments, including on leadership and trustworthiness.

There was “clear evidence that Democratic female leaders are considered less capable of handling terrorism when worry about terrorism is elevated,” a UCR news release quoted the research team as saying. GOP female candidates don’t have the same problem because of their party affiliation, the researchers found.

Howard Katz, chairman of the Riverside County Democratic Party, said the GOP’S misogynism is to blame for the researchers’ findings.

“It has to do with the Republican view of women and Democratic women,” he said. “They’ll say anything to make sure women are frowned upon.

“If you look at the world wars we’ve had, they’ve both been won by Democrats. Most of the police actions have been won by Democrats,” he said. “I am just amazed that these studies exist with these results because it’s all perception rather than the truth.”

Experience in foreign policy, defense and international affairs may help a Democratic female candidate overcome voter bias, the researchers said. Clinton’s secretary of state tenure “could serve to buttress her against gender and party stereotypes in a climate of national security threat,” the researchers wrote in their blog post.

In the meantime, Merolla said she expects the stereotypes uncovered in the findings to continue.

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